Starting in November 2021, United Airlines customers on select flights can make touch-free inflight purchases of snacks, drinks and other items, even when wi-fi is not available, by simply showing a flight attendant the PayPal QR Code in the PayPal app.
United is the first airline to offer PayPal QR Codes, which can be used on select flights departing from Chicago O’ Hare International Airport in November and before the end of the year, will extend to all flights across the United’s entire network where contactless payment is available.
Customers need only download the PayPal app to their device prior to leaving the gate (if they haven’t already), and set their preferred payment method for QR code payments. To make an inflight purchase, they then click the ‘Pay with QR codes’ button, then click the ‘In-flight Purchase’ button and show the QR code to the flight attendant to scan.
“Our contactless payment offering is built on simplicity and choice and it’s another way we’re improving the overall experience of flying United,” said Toby Enqvist, chief customer officer for United. “PayPal is a terrific partner and this technology gives our customers another easy way to make purchases, even when they’re not online. We expect to introduce even more new and innovative options for our customers in the future through our collaboration with PayPal.”